hello, all, I just did a cook for 35, and i tried to use a few calculators to help me get the amounts, but i still seem to have been off a bit,

doing pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and i did 2 whole chicken i parted out, what should have the amounts been?

by the calculators for multiple meats i got about 8 lbs cooked of the brisket and pork and about 9 racks figuring on 12 bones a pop.

I actually cooked 12 racks 2 8 lb butts and 2 large briskets.

Had about 5-6 no shows but had about 3 lbs of pork left, perhaps 1/2 to 1 lb of brisket 6 racks of ribs,

how do you all figure for multiple meats in a mixed crowd?

armor

07-22-2012, 05:34 PM

How much meat?

In the world of BBQ, meat is the star, which controls the cost of the meal. So the first menu decision is, what meats and what size servings?
For catering a dinner, allow one pound of cooked boneless ready to eat brisket or sausage, pulled pork or chicken, or 1 quart of chili, for each three people. For chicken, figure one whole chicken per three people. With meaty pork ribs, 2 people per pound is usual, while beef ribs or baby back ribs require 1- 1 1/2 pounds per person because of the very large proportion of bone. Remember, this estimates the total of all meats per person, not each meat.

At a mixed entree BBQ when people can choose what they want and have seconds, many people take "some of each", so I increase the total about 10% for each additional entree. If you have 3 different meats, you may need 1/4 more than with a single meat.
At a reception or light meal, decrease the amounts above about 25%, unless it is teenagers.
People always take more when they serve themselves, you have to add about another 10%.
If you need to control costs, someone should portion and serve the meats.
If the meat budget is strained, select MORE and HEAVIER side dishes. Potato salad PLUS ranch beans or baked beans; cole slaw or three bean salad instead of tossed salad; really good garlic bread (http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/meatballs25.html#bread25) or rolls instead of sliced bread, and desserts all will cut down on the meat. Set up the service so people fill their plates with the sides before they get to the meats.

First, figure the total number of entree servings you need, adding in any allowances. In this case, add extra for multiple entrees= 10% extra.
You want 175 entrees plus another 10% = 193 "entree units".
Decide on a possible distribution of the choices- visualize the plate. In this case, I see some ribs, a piece of chicken and a few good bites of sausage.
Make the first guess: Estimate your totals and the amount you might need to purchase with this idea. How manyunitsof whatallows per personnumber of entree unitsI would purchase 29wholechickensallows 1-2 pieces87about 90 pounds 85pounds cookedbaby back ribsallows 3-4 ribs85about 115 pounds raw 20pounds cookedsmoked sausage allows 2 ounces cooked60about 25 pounds
Adjust your first estimate for quantities and price. Check whether you have enough. The total number of "entree units" is 87 + 85 + 60 = 232, which looks a little high- about 10%. So I might cut back about 10% on each item. You can also check whether you are within budget when deciding what to add or cut. For a fund raiser, I might adjust the extra by reducing the most expensive item, the ribs. By cutting back to 65 pounds cooked= 95 pounds raw and allow 2-3 ribs per person instead of 3-4.
Recalculate to make sure you have enough entree servings for your crowd.
Write down you menu and prepare you shopping list.

The portion quantities above are usually sufficient amounts for mixed groups. If your group consists of heavy eaters or teens or food is to be set out all day for munching, you might consider using a larger amount as a serving, such as 1/2 pound brisket, per person.